When the players walked off at the end of the first day of the one-off Dhaka Test, Nayeem Hasan's team-mates, all much older than the 19-year-old, were behind him. Nayeem slowed down to join them, but was told that he had to lead them off. It painted like a cute picture: Nayeem, walking ahead with a shy smile on his face, and the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Abu Jayed showing him the way.
It was well deserved. If Bangladesh bat well, Nayeem's four wickets could have a big say in the way the match turns out. But, at the same time, his selection in the playing XI ahead of the more established and experienced Mehidy Hasan did raise eyebrows.
Bangladesh have lost six Tests in a row, but against Zimbabwe at home, they started as the favourites. On paper then, it looked a risk to leave out their main offspinner. But it was a well-planned move.
According to at least two members of Bangladesh's team management, the feeling was that Nayeem was in better form and would be more effective at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. His height is an advantage - it helps him generate extra bounce and he gets turn even on flat pitches. And Mehidy's recent form - six wickets in four Tests in the past year - worked against him.
Nayeem certainly paid back the faith, bowling unchanged for 32 overs from one end and coming into his own in the second session, creating a number of chances in a dramatic 20 minutes. He himself dropped a return catch, while chances went down at slip and short leg too. But Nayeem made amends by grabbing a chance from Prince Masvaure and then removing the big three of Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Ervine.
What worked for Nayeem was his accuracy. He targeted off stump, without much flight, but still got purchase. Mehidy, much shorter, tosses up the ball more, gets it to drop in front of the batsman before it turns. Nayeem's spin is more subtle, but because of the bounce and accuracy, he doesn't always allow the batsman to drive the ball with confidence.
That doesn't necessarily mean Mehidy is a lesser bowler. He is ten short of becoming the fourth Bangladesh bowler to take 100 Test wickets, a big deal given that he only made his debut in 2016. He has won Bangladesh big matches - the 19-wicket haul in two Tests against England (his first two games too) helped Bangladesh turn a corner in international cricket and made him a household name. But he has been on a dip more recently, a shoulder injury and then a finger injury not helping.
Therefore, when it came to a crunch decision ahead of what is considered a crucial Test in 2020 for Bangladesh, the team management felt they needed to make a big call.
It's the sort of decision-making that coach Russell Domingo had been talking about since taking charge late last year. Mehidy isn't going to be discarded, but it is a message to him, and many others within the team, that Domingo's team will make unpopular decisions. If they come off, like with Nayeem, a point will be made and, one hopes, there will be all-round improvement in the ranks.